Hiroki Hyuga really wanted to talk with them—what if someone from the Hyuga clan was captured?
However, the Hyuga family deeply valued neutrality and avoided discussing such sensitive topics.
Hiroki Hyuga finally broke the silence. "Though we don't know who exactly is among the captives, it's possible there might be members of our clan."
"Even if they are captured, they'd only be Branch House members. No one would really care about them anyway."
Most of the personnel dispatched to fight against Kumogakure were Branch House members, and as they spoke, their faces revealed a mix of self-mockery and resentment.
"What should we do then? Can we just watch them die?" Hiroki Hyuga asked.
Other Hyuga remained silent.
"Lord Danzo doesn't seem willing to act. If that day really comes, we'll have no choice but to find our own solution."
"Do you have any ideas?" An elder Hyuga named Hikaru Hyuga asked.
"We can raise money ourselves to ransom them back."
Hikaru gave an odd smile. "Your thinking is a bit too naive. If we actually did that, it would only deepen the rift between the clan and ordinary villagers. People would wonder—if you're not born into privilege, does that mean you even lose the right to survival? Why should regular folks always be forgotten?"
"So in the name of preserving the clan, we must just abandon individual lives?"
The group fell silent again.
"I have a better idea. The Kumo ninja only announce two prisoners each time. If someday one of them is a Hyuga, we could pay twice as much to free the other person imprisoned alongside him."
"This way, something that should've been handled by the village will instead earn us gratitude from everyone else."
Hikaru opened his mouth slightly.
He thought this method proposed by Hiroki Hyuga was even more dangerous than the last.
Wasn't this basically stepping onto the village's turf to gain influence—gathering support and forming factions?
In the end, he simply said, "We're Branch House. We don't have the authority to make decisions."
"Facing both the clan and the village, we'll always remain voiceless Branch House members, with no say in our own fates."
Returning to his quarters, Hiroki Hyuga began writing a letter.
He planned to share his thoughts with Hiashi Hyuga and entrusted a returning ninja to take this letter back to Konoha.
It ultimately depended on whether Hiashi was willing to play politics and help Hinata Hyuga realize her 'dream' of becoming Hokage.
"One minute you're saving lives, the next you're ending them. Can't you make up your mind?" Kaguya couldn't help but comment sarcastically.
"I save people to practice my Medical Ninjutsu, I kill those irresponsible shinobi who treat lives lightly, and now helping the Hyuga clan strategize is all to fulfill Lady Hinata's 'dream,'" Hiroki replied with a smile.
Kaguya felt somewhat speechless.
What dream? Wasn't this all originally just a ploy to trick Hiashi Hyuga into giving Hinata access to various clan archives?
And now he's taking it seriously?
At the same time, members of the Uchiha clan had a discussion along similar lines.
Eventually, they reached the decision to find a way to raise funds and rescue their clansmen.
Along the way, someone suggested that it might be better to pay the ransom for another person as well.
However, this opinion was barely audible before being quickly drowned out by others. Even Shisui Uchiha couldn't force a change in everyone's mindset.
After all, the Uchiha clan had poor relations with villagers and only superficial connections with many civilian ninja.
There was no way these proud people would willingly humiliate themselves to save someone they barely knew.
Later, two Uchiha clan members hurriedly left the camp, seeking financial help from nobles within the Country of Hot Springs.
At noon, Hidekazu Ueno, who hadn't appeared in a long time, suddenly showed up and gathered Hiroki Hyuga, Hana Inuzuka, and Itachi Uchiha.
Got an S-rank mission now — I'm taking you three with me.
"What kind of mission?"
"Destroying Frost Ninja Village!"
Hiroki raised his eyebrows. He had expected Konoha or Kumogakure to retaliate against Frost, but didn't expect it so soon.
That man Danzo acts decisively…
Itachi was very surprised. "Are we just four going to do this?"
"Yeah, sensei, after all, it's still a ninja village—can we really make it with just us?" Hana said after her initial shock passed.
She felt this teacher was completely different from what she had imagined.
Every mission he took them on was dripping with bloodshed—without even a trace of warmth.
"Don't worry," Hidekazu Ueno smiled. "Besides us, there are two other squads—twelve people altogether. This is an S-rank mission. Regular genin never get opportunities like this. I specially asked Danzo-sama to arrange your participation."
Hana wiped imaginary sweat off her forehead, speechless at her teacher's thought process.
Should I actually feel honored? She muttered inwardly.
"That's obvious, isn't it? What genin would even be allowed on such a dangerous mission?" Hiroki couldn't resist saying.
"It's not as scary as you imagine," Hidekazu Ueno said with a faint smile.
"This unknown little village has barely over one hundred ninja calling themselves shinobi, and among those, only one or two barely qualify as jōnin-level experts."
"I and two other jōnin will handle the mid- and high-level threats while you deal with the minor nuisances."
"But facing ten at once is still terrifying, sensei," the three replied unimpressed.
"After dealing with the Frost Shinobi, we'll stay in the Country of Frost to cut off reinforcements from Kumogakure," Hidekazu urged. "Go get ready quickly."
Hiroki hastily informed Hikaru Hyuga and the others remaining at the camp about the letter he had sent to Hiashi Hyuga and asked them to help receive the reply before joining Hidekazu with his backpack.
"Sensei, weren't you saying there were others coming too?"
"We'll meet them in the Country of Frost," Hidekazu replied.
Under cover from Konoha ninja, the group of four swiftly crossed the border into the Country of Frost.
Hiroki turned back; the Konoha Camp behind him grew increasingly distant until it disappeared completely from sight.
A thought struck Hiroki Hyuga: if he could deploy a monster on the battlefield right now, the effect would be extraordinary.
From what he remembered, there were monsters like the Moryo from the Land of Demons and Satori from the Box of Ultimate Bliss in Hozuki Castle.
However, both locations were too far away from the border between the Country of Hot Springs and the Country of Frost, making it difficult for these creatures to appear here without drawing attention.
Besides, even if he managed to release them, they might not obey him.
To make them obey willingly, he'd have to rely on Kaguya. But if he really pushed Kaguya to unleash her full power, his body might not withstand it for long.
In the end, he had no choice but to abandon this idea.
"Forget it, I'll just leave things as they are. If my strength isn't enough, making trouble now would just attract too much attention." Hiroki Hyuga thought to himself with a sigh.
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